Trial begins for Medford man accused of killing 54-year-old with golf club

Wednesday

May 14, 2014 at 2:00 AM

The murder trial of Travis Asbill, who was previously convicted of attempted murder in a separate case, began Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court, with opening statements expected to take place late this afternoon or Thursday morning, his attorney said.

The murder trial of Travis Asbill, who was previously convicted of attempted murder in a separate case, began Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court, with opening statements expected to take place late this afternoon or Thursday morning, his attorney said.

Asbill, 31, has been lodged in the Jackson County Jail since June 2012 for allegedly bludgeoning 54-year-old Donald William Mack to death with a golf club inside a Medford apartment.

The assault was reported just before 1 p.m. on June 3, 2012. Police and paramedics found Mack inside his apartment at 115 Almond St. with major head injuries. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Asbill was arrested on a warrant and arraigned in court the following day, Oregon Judicial Department records show.

In 2004, Asbill pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of then 48-year-old Ronald Ragsdale and was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for the Measure 11 crime. Asbill was released on supervised probation in May 2011 and was still under post-prison supervision when he allegedly killed Mack.

Asbill shot and stabbed Ragsdale several times at a trailhead off Crowfoot Road in the early-morning hours of Nov. 4, 2003. Attorneys in that case said Asbill likely had been in the midst of a methamphetamine-induced psychosis that caused him to hallucinate.